IATF issues new guidelines, protocols for arriving passengers

As COVID-19 cases in the Philippines continue to see a steady decline, the country once again eases its travel protocols to welcome more travelers and returnees.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on COVID-19 has adjusted the quarantine and testing protocols for international passengers arriving in the country coming from “green” and “yellow” countries.

Beginning November 22, Monday, fully vaccinated individuals from “yellow” areas will be required to present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test conducted 72 hours before their departure from origin, acting Palace spokesman Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced in a press briefing.

Upon arrival, Nograles informed that the individuals are required to undergo a 3-day quarantine in a facility, then they will be tested for COVID-19 on the third day, with the date of arrival counted as the first day.

Meanwhile, fully-vaccinated Filipinos arriving from “green” areas or jurisdictions who fail to take the RT-PCR test 72 hours before they depart from “green” countries are required to undergo facility-based quarantine until their negative test results are released.

According to Nograles, the individual should do self-monitoring until the 14th day of their arrival, with the date of their arrival being counted as the first day.

On the other hand, Nograles said that fully-vaccinated Filipinos with negative RT-PCR test results taken within 72 hours prior to their departure from “green” countries or jurisdictions are no longer required to undergo facility-based quarantine and take another RT-PCR test.

Fully-vaccinated foreign individuals coming from green states or jurisdictions are still required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure and are no longer required to observe facility-based quarantine or take another RT-PCR test upon arrival.

 

Green countries include:

1. American Samoa

2. Bhutan

3. Chad

4. Mainland China

5. Comoros

6. Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

7. Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

8. Federated States of Micronesia

9. Guinea

10. Guinea-Bissau

11. Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China)

12. India

13. Indonesia

14. Japan

15. Kosovo

16. Kuwait

17. Kyrgyzstan

18. Malawi

19. Mali

20. Marshall Islands

21. Montserrat

22. Morocco

23. Namibia

24. Niger

25. Northern Mariana Islands

26. Oman

27. Pakistan

28. Palau

29. Paraguay

30. Rwanda

31. Saint Barthelemy

32. Saint Pierre and Miquelon

33. Saudi Arabia

34. Senegal

35. Sierra Leone

36. Sint Eustatius

37. South Africa

38. Sudan

39. Taiwan

40. Togo

41. Uganda

42. United Arab Emirates

43. Zambia

44. Zimbabwe
 

Red countries include the Netherlands and Faroe Islands. Meanwhile, countries, territories, or jurisdictions included in the yellow list are those that are not listed on the Philippines’ green and red lists.

The current lists will remain in effect until November 30.